All you can heat

By Francis Mallmann  Photos by Santiago Solo Monllor

Francis Mallmann is Argentina’s most celebrated chef. Born in Patagonia, he grew up in the Andes where fire was viewed as, well, life: it was used for warmth, to heat water and in the kitchen stove. After decades of interning in France’s toughest and most intimidating kitchens and later managing his restaurant near oh-so-posh Punta del Este in Uruguay, Mallmann “tired of making French food for wealthy Argentines.” He wanted something more fundamental. Enter what he named “Nuevo Andean.”

Based on the cast-iron and fire traditions of gauchos and Native Americans, Nuevo Andean cuisine is simple: ingredients lists are short as are instructions. Instead of rich sauces, it’s about herbs and olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar. And, because cooking outdoors isn’t always practical (hello, Canada…), a lot of the dishes in Mallmann’s Seven Fires, published by Artisan, include instructions on how to make them in an oven or on the stove. Here’s to keeping it hot in September…